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All The Fried Foods… {North Carolina State Fair}

State Fair Candy ShackI remember going to the fair as a little kid. It was lots of this. Cotton Candy. Candy Apples. Sno Cones. You know…the classics. Grist MillThe Grist Mill at  the North Carolina State Fair is another classic. A quick stop not only lets you sample some hushpuppies as you enter, you can also buy a cup of the best hushpuppies at the fair and watch the mill in action. And this year we finally got there before they closed down for the day. Ahhhh…Apple CiderThe nearby Heritage Circle has treats like apple cider, fritters and even homemade ice cream made in machines powered by John Deere engines. PizzaOf course the traditional fair food is always around. Like seriously. Has someone done the breakdown of what percentage of the fair is food based? I’d like to know. All The Fried FoodsThis. This massive shrine to all the fried foods. New this year? Twinx: a Twix, in a Twinkie, wrapped in bacon and fried. I passed. And seriously, exactly when did this become all about what super strange thing we can fry this year? Or put on a doughnut. Wait, next year someone’s going to deep fry a Krispy Kreme burger, aren’t they? Or has someone already done that? I’m dying a little inside at the thought…Mini DoughnutsI actually stayed pretty normal…for the fair…splitting a bag of mini cinnamon sugar doughnuts and a blooming onion. Pro tip: find a stand that has the traditional horseradish sauce. We got a great onion, but the ranch sauce was a let down. In the world of letdowns there are worse problems to have, I suppose. But in that moment? Tragedy! Tempura VeggiesIf you’re a really bad vegetarian, like yours truly, keep an eye out for the tempura stand. I skipped this year, but the last time I visited this was totally  my dinner. AND I wasn’t even a vegetarian at the time.
Candy ApplesThe highlight of my fair foodie journey? The muscadine grape cider slushie. I had two! They’re available in the education building. They’re amazing. Try one. If you’re nice they’ll put a little fancy decoration in your cup. And of course you gotta get the traditional candy apple to eat at home. And I mean the second you get home. Pro tip: look for a booth that advertises that they use Granny Smith apples. Granny Smith apples are always better.

As The Bunny Hops®